A holistic prescription

All, or most of us, combat minor ailment occasionally. Headaches in varying degrees. Cough and cold. Backache. Indigestion. The list goes on. Every now and then, our immune system seems to give up under the onslaught of the changing weather, viral attacks, or everyday stress. This affects not only our physical health, but also our mental and emotional well-being. I am susceptible to headaches, shoulder and neck pains, and have a sensitive digestive system. Every now and then, I come down with a stomach infection, or wage a war with a stiff neck and shoulder. More than the physical pain, it is the agony of repeated attacks that I minded.

That is when I discovered the healing power of EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques). The tappings and affirmations help me calm down, accept the pain and discomfort, and ultimately release them. My habit of popping an analgesic at the slightest hint of pain has started reducing.I might not have completely gone off them, but then, it’s a start!

The whys and hows

Like EFT, many other modalities too deal with routine ailments in their own way. I talked to a few healers and therapists to find about their own personal toolkit to combat routine ailments. For most of them reiki, access bars, acupressure, yoga, pranayama and meditation, in combination with affirmations, visualisations and intentions, found pride of place. This apart, many had valuable tips to impart.

Says Chitra Jha, writer and holistic healer, “An illness is an indication of ‘toxicity’ in the physical, mental and emotional body. Hence, detoxification is compulsory, irrespective of whatever garb the illness might be wearing. Since the lymphatic system is the ‘detoxification’ department of our body, assisting it becomes my foremost plan of action. Simultaneously, a natural expression of emotions and de-cluttering of mental space, have to become a priority,” she says.

Awareness is essential for any condition to be healed. “The destination of healing can be reached through the path of acceptance. So before we work on healing anything permanently, we need to bring complete acceptance to our current state,” says Hitesh Vashishth, a Delhi-based past-life regression therapist.

Hitesh also recommends listening deeply to the body. “Physical discomforts and pains want you to deal with them with compassion. Ask questions, you will receive an insight from the body. Work on the insight received. Use affirmations to complete the process. Say, ‘I choose to stay at peace in this moment. I am at peace.’ It hardly takes five minutes to reflect and bring instant healing,” he shares.

Aditi Surti, an Access Consciousness facilitator, also warns us to evaluate the benefit we may get from an illness. “Illness can be a way of escaping a responsibility, or seeking love and attention.” Mostly these needs are unconscious. Once they are uncovered, she recommends Access body processes to eliminate the illness.

Toolkit of therapies

Here below are a list of minor ailments and the tools with which to heal them.

Headaches

According to Anu Mehta, a Meta medicine and Meta-healing trainer, the cause of a headache is water retention in the brain, which puts pressure on the brain. The intensity of the headache depends on the amount of water retained. Hypoglycemia or low sugar level also increases brain edema, resulting in headaches. Its emotional cause, however, lies elsewhere: “The emotion here is about resistance or disgust. Headaches intensify when people feel unsupported and not understood,” says Anu.

According to Chitra Jha, headache means an excess of fire element and acid; and a malfunctioning solar plexus chakra. “As fire dries up the water, I would recommend adequate hydration by sipping water continuously throughout the day; less activity or rest; no mental stimulation; massage of lymph-node-rich areas of both the temples and behind both ears, light tapping on the entire head, neck, shoulders and chest; head massage with a cooling oil like amla oil. Pay attention to habits of criticism and suppression of anger,” she explains.

You can also make a cold compress using lavender and peppermint essential oil. Apply the cold compress to your forehead and lie in a quiet, darkened room until the pain eases.

Body ache

Body aches, muscular pain, joint pains or cramps are mainly a result of feeling ‘I am not good enough’. Each muscle and bone has a story of its own. The conflict is connected with the function of that part of the body. “We have 206 bones, hence 206 stories. When we go off stress we get cramps. Cramps generally happen in the middle of the night when we are resting,” says Anu.

Tapping on lymph-node-rich area such as armpits, groins, temples, behind ears, behind knees, help in soothing the pain. Adequate hydration, paying attention to self-criticism and guilt, and loving yourself are some root-chakra issues that might be needing attention. According to Sunny Etimaal, a Delhi-based energy healer, one can also cure body aches and cramps by lying in ‘shavasana’ (corpse pose) while becoming aware of one’s body parts, and lovingly asking them to relax.

Cough and sore throat

Cough and sore throat are caused by a conflict in the larynx mucosa and muscles, which is connected with the person feeling fearful and disgusted with something happening in his life, leaving him speechless. According to Chitra, these also point you to ask yourself ‘where are you not speaking your truth? Where are you stifling your creativity?’ These can be healed by sipping on hot water, performing reiki and tapping on throat and chest areas. Tap the throat by using your middle and index fingers while chanting an affirmation – ‘People love listening to me. I am appreciated and loved by all.’

Cold and flu/Blocked nose and congestion

The main function of the nose is to smell. When we sniff something that is not pleasant we want to close our nose to avoid the stink into our system. The conflict around the cold and blocked nose is all around this stink conflict. Ask yourself ‘Where do I need help and what is making me cry within? What negative beliefs am I holding?’ Chitra Jha suggests sipping hot water and tapping on the sinus points as well as on the chest, head, shoulders, and neck. Massaging the armpit while taking lots of hot water sips and ample rest are also helpful. Sunny Etimaal recommends tapping the nose with the middle and index fingers while chanting ‘I am a positive person,’ in the case of a blocked nose, and affirming ‘I love and appreciate myself’ if you have a runny nose. Meditating on this statement for a few minutes also help.

Constipation, diarrhoea and indigestion

“Constipation is a deep root-chakra issue, concerning money, survival, hoarding, miserliness, not having enough, not releasing the past, fear of letting go. It concerns safety, security, faith and trust issues,” says Chitra. Taking natural isabgol seeds; drinking plenty of water, eating easily digestible food, doing mental de-tox, massaging, tapping, and reiki are some helpful techniques. “When we cannot digest what is going on in our life and we swallow anger or other negative emotions, our body secretes acid to digest these emotions and this leads to acidity,” says Anu. Indigestion or acidity can be healed by combining meditation and visualisation. “Sit in lotus position and go into meditative state. Breathe deeply and visualise a white light entering from the back of your neck and then spreading from neck to stomach and then going out from your feet. Do this for 10 minutes, followed by drinking a glass of cold milk,” suggests Sunny. For healing diarrhoea, press your stomach gently with your right hand and chant: ‘I accept myself as I am and I have perfect health’. Similarly, for healing constipation, do the same process while chanting – ‘I am brave and I have perfect health’.

Pimples and acne

Pimples are all about people pointing fingers at you. The issue is about the person not feeling protected. It usually occurs when the child is entering his teens. This is also the time when sex hormones are secreted in the body, and the child is feeling insecure about himself. He or she is also trying to cope with the physical and mental changes in his or her body. Pimples or acne can be healed by affirming ‘I love my inner and outer self’ multiple times a day, followed by drinking plenty of fluids.